Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted
Stricken, smitten, and afflicted
Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted is a hymn text by Thomas Polhill (1677) in L.M. (8.8.8.8) meter. Found in CW21 430, CW93 127, ELH 297, elw 350. Sung to HERZLICH TUT MICH.
This hymn presents classical substitutionary atonement theology central to Lutheran understanding, depicting Christ bearing the penalty of human sin. It emphasizes the comfort found in recognizing Christ's suffering as vicarious satisfaction for the sins of the world, reflecting Luther's doctrine of justification by faith.
History & Background
Written by English Nonconformist minister Thomas Polhill in the late 17th century, this hymn was published in various English hymnal collections. It became widely adopted in Lutheran hymnals beginning in the 19th century, particularly in German and English-speaking Lutheran traditions.
Hymnal Appearances
- Christian Worship: Hymnal — 430
- Christian Worship — 127
- Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary — 297
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 350
- Glory to God — 215
- Lutheran Service Book — 451
- Lift Up Your Hearts — 161
- Lutheran Worship — 116
- Trinity Hymnal — 257
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 153
- Voices Together — 193
Bulletin Note
Penned by Thomas Polhill in 1677, this hymn embodies Reformed and Lutheran substitutionary theology, depicting Christ bearing humanity's deserved penalty with unflinching clarity—a meditation suited to Holy Week contrition and Easter hope.
Preaching Connection
This hymn crystallizes Luther's doctrine of vicarious atonement, making visible the Gospel's answer to the Law's condemnation—Christ as the innocent Substitute who endures divine wrath in our stead.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- Of Justification Augsburg Confession
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Law to Gospel: from the demand to love God completely (St. 1) through confession of sin and need for Christ's redemption (St. 2), to the Holy Spirit's sustaining comfort (St. 3), culminating in trinitarian confidence and eschatological hope (St. 4)
Background Research
Thomas Kelly, Hymns on Various Passages of Scripture (Dublin, 1804): four 8-line stanzas, no music. It opens by quoting Isaiah 53:4 and is sung from the viewpoint of a bystander at the cross. Kelly revised it in 1806 and 1809; the 1809 form was kept through the 7th edition (1853). St 1 echoes David's Lord (Ps 110:1; Mark 12:35–37); st 2 possibly Lam 1:12 ('is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?'); st 3 the load of sin and what it takes to lift it; st 4 the cornerstone (Isa 28:16; Ps 118:22) and the Lamb (Gen 22, John, Revelation). Tune O MEIN JESU, ICH MUSS STERBEN, a German folk melody from Geistliche Volkslieder (Paderborn, 1850), was first paired with this text in the Lutheran Church Book (Philadelphia, 1872), a Lutheran-made pairing. From memory: Kelly, a judge's son, left the established Church of Ireland and founded independent congregations; he was known for generosity during the Irish famine.
Sources: hymnologyarchive.com 'Stricken, smitten, and afflicted'.
In the Church Year
Suggested in the one-year series
- Good Friday (1×)
- Holy Wednesday (1×)
Suggested in the three-year series
- Good Friday (4×)
From LCMS Worship's published hymn suggestions, 2014–2026. The count is how many of those yearly lists suggested this hymn for that day.
Overview
Thomas Kelly, an Irish evangelical preacher, published this in 1804. It is a meditation on Isaiah 53 at the cross. The singer identifies the dying man as the Christ, the long-expected Prophet, David's Son and Lord (st. 1); describes his abandonment and names the deepest wound — the stroke of divine Justice (st. 2); calls those who think lightly of sin to see its true weight in the Sacrifice, who is the Word, the Lord's Anointed, Son of Man and Son of God (st. 3); and confesses Christ as the firm foundation and Rock, the Lamb whose sacrifice cancels guilt (st. 4). It is a remarkably clear statement of penal substitution in hymn form.
Central theme: The crucified Christ bearing the stroke of God's justice against sin, the sure foundation for sinners
Structure
Four eight-line stanzas (8.7.8.7 D). Identification (1) — the suffering and its deepest cause (2) — the gravity of sin seen at the cross (3) — the firm foundation (4).
Law & Gospel Shape
Law: the 'stroke that Justice gave' (2); the true weight of sin revealed at the cross (3). Gospel: the Sacrifice appointed; firm foundation; Lamb wounded for sinners; none who trust him confounded (3-4).
Confessional Connections
Christ suffers the punishment of divine justice in our place (AC III: 'to be a sacrifice not only for original guilt but also for all actual sins'; Ap IV). The gravity of sin known through the Passion (Luther: the Passion is the clearest preaching of the Law and of the Gospel; FC V). Two natures: 'Son of Man and Son of God' (FC VIII). Faith built on Christ alone (st. 4; AC IV).
Liturgical Use (Study Notes)
Lent; Holy Week; Good Friday (with Isa 52:13-53:12).
Historical Notes
Kelly (1769-1855) left the established Church of Ireland and founded independent congregations; he wrote some 765 hymns.
About the Tune
O MEIN JESU, ICH MUSS STERBEN (Geistliche Volkslieder, Paderborn, 1850).
Scripture References
Isa 53:3-5 Isa 53:10 Deut 18:15 Matt 22:41-46 John 1:1 Lam 1:12 Matt 26:56 Rom 3:25-26 Zech 13:7 Rom 8:3 Ps 2:2 1 Cor 3:11 Ps 62:2 John 1:29 Rom 10:11 1 Pet 2:6
Stanza by Stanza
Stricken, smitten and afflicted, see him dying on the tree! It is the Christ rejected by man; yes, my soul, it is he! It is the long-expected Prophet, David's Son yet David's Lord; I see sufficient proof of it: it is the true and faithful Word.
The first line quotes Isa 53:4: 'we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.' Isaiah's point is that observers misread his suffering as God's rejection of him; Kelly corrects the misreading: 'Tis the Christ!' The insistent 'tis He! 'tis He!' is the confession of faith before the scandal of the cross. 'Long-expected Prophet' (Deut 18:15; Acts 3:22). 'David's Son, yet David's Lord' is Jesus' own riddle (Matt 22:41-46) — human descendant and divine Lord, the two natures. 'Proofs I see sufficient' — the fulfilled prophecies of the Passion. 'The true and faithful Word' (Rev 19:11-13; John 1:1) — the crucified one is the eternal Word.
- Scripture
- Isa 53:3-4, Deut 18:15, Acts 3:22, Matt 22:41-46, Rev 19:11-13, John 1:1, 1 Cor 1:23
- Imagery & language
- Triple adjectives; insistent 'tis He!'
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — the crucified is the Christ.
- Connection to previous
- Opening identification.
Tell me, you who hear him groan, was there ever grief like his? Friends disown him out of fear, enemies insult him; many hands are raised to wound him, none to save; but the deepest stroke that pierced him was the stroke Justice gave.
Lam 1:12: 'Is there any sorrow like my sorrow?' The human dimension: friends flee (Matt 26:56), enemies mock (Matt 27:39-44), no one intervenes (Isa 63:5). Then the theological climax: 'the deepest stroke that pierced Him was the stroke that Justice gave.' Isa 53:10: 'it was the will of the LORD to crush him'; Zech 13:7: 'Strike the shepherd.' Human cruelty was real, but the deepest suffering was bearing God's righteous judgment against sin — the cry of dereliction (Matt 27:46). This is penal substitution: God is 'just and the justifier' (Rom 3:25-26) because his justice fell on Christ.
- Scripture
- Lam 1:12, Matt 26:56, Matt 27:39-46, Isa 63:5, Isa 53:10, Zech 13:7, Rom 3:25-26, Rom 8:3
- Imagery & language
- Groaning; raised hands; the stroke of Justice.
- Law / Gospel
- Law — God's justice against sin borne by Christ.
- Connection to previous
- From who he is (1) to what he suffers and why.
You who think of sin lightly and don't suppose the evil great may see its true nature and weigh its guilt here. Mark the appointed Sacrifice, see who bears the awful load: it is the Word, the Lord's Anointed, Son of Man and Son of God.
The Passion as the most powerful preaching of the Law. Luther: there is no more terrible revelation of God's wrath against sin than the death of his Son (FC SD V.12). The measure of sin is the dignity of the one who bears its punishment — not a mere man but 'the WORD, the LORD'S ANOINTED, Son of Man and Son of God.' TLH's capitals stress the divine identity. 'The Sacrifice appointed' — God himself provided the lamb (Gen 22:8; Acts 2:23). Yet the same stanza already points to the Gospel: the load is borne by him, not us.
- Scripture
- Rom 7:13, Gen 22:8, Acts 2:23, John 1:1, 14, Ps 2:2, Matt 16:16, Heb 9:14
- Imagery & language
- Weighing guilt; awful load; capitals.
- Law / Gospel
- Law — sin's gravity shown at the cross; Gospel — borne by the God-man.
- Connection to previous
- Draws the lesson of st. 2's 'stroke of Justice.'
Here we have a firm foundation and the refuge of the lost; Christ is the Rock of our salvation, his is the name in which we boast. Lamb of God, wounded for sinners, sacrifice to cancel guilt — none who build their hope on him will ever be put to shame.
The cross that reveals sin's weight also provides 'a firm foundation' (1 Cor 3:11; Isa 28:16). 'Refuge of the lost' — Luke 19:10. 'Rock of our salvation' (Ps 95:1). 'His the name of which we boast' — Gal 6:14; 1 Cor 1:31. 'Sacrifice to cancel guilt' — the debt is cancelled (Col 2:14). The final promise is Isa 28:16 as quoted in Rom 10:11 and 1 Pet 2:6: 'whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.' The hymn moves from the Law's terror to the Gospel's certainty — the classic Lutheran order.
- Scripture
- 1 Cor 3:11, Isa 28:16, Luke 19:10, Ps 95:1, Gal 6:14, John 1:29, Col 2:14, Rom 10:11, 1 Pet 2:6
- Imagery & language
- Foundation, rock, refuge; building hope.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — certainty for those who trust Christ.
- Connection to previous
- Turns the Law of st. 2-3 into the Gospel's assurance.
Themes
Substitutionary atonement Suffering of Christ Penal substitution Redemption Comfort in affliction